Rei gasped, his body jerking upright as if pulled from the depths of a nightmare.
His breath came in sharp, ragged gasps. His heart pounded. His fingers trembled as they ran over his chest, his arms, his legs—everything was there. No wounds. No blood. No pain.
He was intact.
But he remembered.
The Deep Eater.
The crushing force of its jaws.
The unbearable agony of being devoured alive.
His voice came out hoarse. "Did I… just die?"
And then—
> [System Notification]
[You have died.]
[Total Revives: 4]
[Revives Remaining: 3]
[Caution: You will be permanently eliminated if all revives are used.]
Rei froze. His mind blanked.
He stared at the glowing text hovering in the air. The words refused to disappear, pressing into his mind like a cruel reminder.
"Four revives… and I already used one?" His voice trembled. His hands clenched into fists. "That was too close."
If it weren't for this revive system, he would've been gone. Completely.
His body shivered—not from the cold, but from the memory of death itself.
He never wanted to experience that again.
"But I can't afford to waste these revives… what if there are more monsters like that Deep Eater?"
His breath was uneven as he forced himself to think, forced himself to calm down.
Then a terrifying thought hit him.
If I revived… does that mean the Deep Eater is still here too?!
His head snapped toward the water. His eyes darted across the dark waves, scanning for any sign of movement.
Nothing.
Then—
> [System Notification]
[Due to your boat being destroyed, your location has been repositioned.]
Rei exhaled sharply. His shoulders sagged slightly in relief. "So I got teleported somewhere else…"
The tension in his chest eased just a little.
Slowly, he sat down, rubbing his face. His mind was a storm of thoughts, a chaotic mess of fear, confusion, and the bitter realization that his life was no longer his own.
"Let's think for a second." He forced himself to focus.
The system had appeared out of nowhere while he was in school. It gave him a class—Fisherman. Then, without warning, he was dragged into this nightmare.
And then—a giant sea monster ate him alive.
Now, he was alive again, but with only three more revives left.
A bitter laugh escaped his lips. He leaned back against the boat, staring up at the empty sky.
"...Fuck. What the fuck is this life?"
The cold sea breeze brushed against his face, but it did little to numb the memory of pain. His body still remembered—the way his bones had shattered, the helplessness, the sheer terror.
But more than fear, one thought burned in his mind.
If this is happening to me… then what about everyone else?
His classmates. His teachers. The entire school. Were they also trapped in this sick game?
And then—
His sister.
His sick little sister lying in a hospital bed, waiting for him to come home.
His fists clenched, his nails digging into his palms.
I have to survive.
If he died here, who would be there for her?
Who would take care of her?
Who would make sure she got better?
Rei took a deep breath, his resolve hardening like steel.
Three revives left. Four days to survive.
No more wasting chances.
He needed to fight back. He needed to win.